School me on HDX systems

[JCBigler]

So after nearly 14 years of using Protools native, I'm buying an HDx system for my theatre. Our quotes are back and we should be issuing purchase orders soon. So maybe by the end of the month or early February I'll start seeing the gear come in.

Buying an HDx Core system, with the single HDx card and HD Software. I/O is a Focusrite Red 4Pre and HD32R Dante interfaces, with a new 8-core Mac Pro all house in a Sonnet xMac Pro Server and connected to our Yamaha CL5 and RIO3224D I/O units via Dante.

What do I need to know about using it that I don't know already from not having access to the HD software or the DSP system?

[Drew Mazurek]

Originally Posted by JCBigler

What do I need to know about using it that I don't know already from not having access to the HD software or the DSP system?

Considering you're using it with a digital console in a theatre environment, I'd recommend telling us why you bought it, what issues you expect it to solve, and we can go from there.

It's a bit of an unorthodox application, with some overlap (PT mixer, Yamaha doing the same thing, etc), so some clarity there would be helpful.

[JCBigler]

Live event recording, up to 64 channels at a time.

Basic mixing and editing if I need to record a voice over or build some sound effects for opera, theatre or other productions. Occasionally some clean up work for bad files that are brought to us by user groups. I also use the virtual sound check set up with the Dante network and the CL5 and Protools as the multichannel playback system to train novice mixers, so they can practice mixing 24-32 channels without having a full band come in.

And this workstation will also do playback using QLab, though not at the same time as Protools is recording.

We're not a recording studio, per se. And definitely not a post facility. The main goal is rock solid capture of 64 channels at a time for our live events at 24/48k. This is a 2400 seat multipurpose concert hall. We do talking heads, theatre, broadway tours, symphony, opera, ballet, and bands and comedians, etc...

[Darryl Ramm]

Why not just go with a Sound Devices 970 or simmilar for the live recording? Or do you want to provide cue mixes from Pro Tools?

[Extreme Mixing]

I think you need to put more thought into this. I'm pretty sure you'll be limited to 32 inputs per port, if you use the Dante interface to get into Pro tools. That and the 4Pre is only 36.

You might find better ways to go.

Steve

[JCBigler]

Originally Posted by Extreme Mixing

I think you need to put more thought into this. I'm pretty sure you'll be limited to 32 inputs per port, if you use the Dante interface to get into Pro tools. That and the 4Pre is only 36.

You should go back and reread my OP.

The Focusrite Red 4Pre is 58 inputs, 64 outputs. The Focusrite HD32R is a bridge between Dante and Protools HD which allows another 32 inputs from Dante to Protools HD. Both of them together, each one connected to one of Digilink ports on the HDx card, will allow me to record up to 64 channels at a time from Dante.

I've been working on this system for 4 years now. I've done all the research and talked to Avid and Focusrite and Yamaha and talked to other guys who have used similar setups.

[Mixchump]

Hi JC,

If you're strictly doing Live Event recording, and there's no requirement for Real-Time DSP (Cue Mixes, etc.), I'd be very tempted to stay in the HD-Native zone... As an HDX user myself (just finishing a 192kHz project with 3 HDX cards in my machine), I fully understand all the limitations, etc., so unless I'm missing a crucial piece, that'd be my way forward, especially if ProTools is not required to do cue mixes.

You're potentially buying in to HDX at the VERY END of it's development cycle, and they've done a big price drop (strong indication that they want to clear out the warehouse), and the minute they drop a new DSP card, HDX cards will be considered 'Legacy' equipment, and will get bottom-tier support.

If you're working at 48kHz, or even 96kHz, I'm pretty sure you can do 64 i/o on an HD-Native card via DigiLink.

Before you slap down the $$, have you looked at MTRX from AVID? That would be an excellent way to bridge the world of Dante and DigiLink. You could probably start with minimal Analogue IO, if you're set on using FocusRite / Dante gear.

Again, I'm pretty sure, if interfacing to ProTools via anything other than DigiLink (at this point) will give you any more than 32 i/o.

For my money, I'd go HD-Native - MTRX - Dante...

Cheers, eh?

[Mixchump]

BTW, what are you using for Mic Preamps? Is that coming from the console via Dante?

[Mixchump]

OK, I'm mentally adding up the cost of all the RedNet bits and pieces, and that's way more $$ than doing a single MTRX, connected via two DigiLink connectors to HD-Native, with 64 i/o.

Those HD32R boxes seriously only route 32 channels of DigiLink with Dante?

They'd have to be GIVING me the RedNet stuff at this point...

[JCBigler]

Originally Posted by Mixchump

OK, I'm mentally adding up the cost of all the RedNet bits and pieces, and that's way more $$ than doing a single MTRX, connected via two DigiLink connectors to HD-Native, with 64 i/o.

Those HD32R boxes seriously only route 32 channels of DigiLink with Dante?

They'd have to be GIVING me the RedNet stuff at this point...

We're paying less than $2,800 for BOTH of the Focusrite units: 1 Red 4Pre and 1 HD32R. The Protools|MTRX unit is $4,500 and isn't even shipping yet. And it doesn't even have any mic preamps or analog outputs for monitoring. Plus, it's made by Avid

The 32 channel limit isn't a Dante limit, that's the most channels you can route through a single Digilink connector, using both connectors on an HDX or HD Native card gives you 64 channels. If you want to add more inputs, then you have to add another HDX card. Maybe I might want to add another card for up to 128 inputs at a time at some point.

Sure, I could have saved some money by getting two of the HD32Rs, which are less than $1,100. But I wanted to have four separate mic pres available so I can do simple voice over or stereo recordings without having to boot up my entire CL5 console and RIO3224D I/O units. Plus, this project is coming in almost $1,000 under budget anyway (Which if I had known that in the beginning, I would have speced a Red 8Pre ).